Do I need to give my baby follow-on milk?

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You don’t need to give your baby follow-on milk instead of breastmilk or infant formula. A diet containing your baby's usual milk, along with a variety of solid foods, will give your growing baby all she needs.

It’s true that when your baby is between six months and a year she needs more iron than she needed during her first six months. However, you can make sure your baby gets enough iron and other nutrients by starting her on a variety of solid foods from six months.

Give your baby plenty of iron-rich foods, such as green leafy vegetables, meat, fish, eggs, nut butters, beans, lentils, and iron-fortified cereals. Your baby can absorb iron more effectively from some of these foods than from milk.

To help your baby absorb the iron from her meals, give her food that is high in vitamin C at mealtimes, such as tomatoes and peppers. You could also give her diluted juice. Having vitamin C in her meals will help her to absorb more iron from non-meat sources.

Last reviewed: May 2014

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Comments

Hi,
what formula milk to feed my baby with when introducing solids? Sometimes I don't have enough, and I give my son Hungry Baby milk (number two).
Should I stay with this one when introducing solids or go to Follow-on milk?
Thank you.

My baby is the same he drinks much less. I think it's normal because it says on the back if tin that they should have around 6oz each feed where as before he was having 8. About 500-600ml a day is average but all babys are different.

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